


Statement

by tcarroll_12



Series: Abduction [2]
Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:48:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23182747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tcarroll_12/pseuds/tcarroll_12
Summary: DI Hardy gives his official victim statement.
Relationships: Alec Hardy & Ellie Miller, Alec Hardy/Ellie Miller
Series: Abduction [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653856
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Statement

“Are you ready, sir?” DS Miller asked quietly. Her warm brown eyes were filled with sympathy as she looked at her boss across the room, sitting in the chair reserved for witnesses and victims as they made statements.

DI Hardy returned her gaze evenly. “You sure you want to be the one to hear this?” he asked in response, raising an eyebrow. “Wasn’t exactly a cake walk.”

DS Miller did not respond, only sighed and started the video recorder. “Whenever you’re ready, sir.”

DI Hardy nodded to Miller. 

“Start with your name for the record, please.”

He drew a deep breath and tipped his head back in a show of confidence. 

“My name is DI Alec Hardy with Broadchurch police,” he began evenly, staring straight at the camera. He would not break for this. Not even for Miller, who had witnessed the dark, tumultuous thoughts of his subconscious at hospital and, therefore, would be able to see straight through any façade he attempted. 

“On the 8th of March, 2017, around or shortly after midnight, I was assaulted at my home, knocked unconscious with an inhalant anaesthetic, and taken prisoner to an unknown location. There were at least two attackers, possibly three.” Deep breath. “I only caught glimpses, and nothing more identifiable than black bodysuits and clothing. I have no idea who they were, where I was taken, or why.” 

“Can you describe the initial attack?”

Hardy’s jaw twitched. After a brief pause, he continued: “I was making one last cup of tea and had my back turned to the entryway. I felt something behind me, but even before I could turn around, one of them shoved a rag into my face, and pinned my arm between us with the other hand.” He swallowed, involuntarily recalling the sickly-sweet smell of the rag. “I ran him backward and managed to knock him into the corner of the cupboards, but one of the others sucker-punched me, and I had no choice but to breathe in the ether. I was out in seconds, and when I woke up I was tied to a chair, blindfolded and gagged. They’d tied my hands behind me, dislocating my shoulder in the process, and my ankles were likewise bound to the front of the chair legs.” 

Miller's face slowly grew paler and more horrified as he went on. Hardy allowed himself one pointed glance at her— _I warned you_ —before continuing. 

“They rarely spoke to me, and when they did, they were careful to use computer generated voices. I have no idea what they really sound like.” He shook his head in disbelief. “They thought of everything.”

Stomach churning with apprehension, the sergeant forced herself to ask: “What happened to your hand?”

A spike of rage drove through Hardy’s bones, but he likewise forced himself to answer. He couldn’t stop himself from shooting an annoyed glance at Miller— _Seriously? You have to ask me about_ this?—but then he returned his attention to the camera. He kept still, but could not keep the fury from his voice. “At some point during my capture, one of my abductors decided to cut them off.” The hand in question twisted in outrage, his expression soured, as the memory played itself out. He took a moment to rein in his emotions, driving them back down into his stomach, before continuing. They did not need emotion for the statement, only cold, concrete facts. “He said if I resisted, he would cut off another.” He smirked. “Still did. I don’t know what happened to them.” 

Something suddenly snapped deep inside Hardy then, and he decided to expound the details. Sod if Miller was there. He was angry about it and was going to vent, and only hellfire or natural disaster would stop him now. Fixing the camera with an icy glare as if it was one of his abductors, he explained with a flinty voice, “The man tied both of my wrists individually, and then removed the rope that bound them in a pair, so he could safely free the one he wanted without letting me too loose. And of course he chose my bad shoulder. 

“He brought my hand round, set it on a table or some sort of flat surface, then slowly bent my little finger all the way back… until it was flat against the back of my hand.” Was it a bad thing that some small part of him relished Miller’s expression of utter horror? “And then it was cut off with a very dull knife, and he shoved my hand into a bucket of ice water. 

“An unknown time later, he came back and did the same for my ring finger.” He cocked an eyebrow in feigned nonchalance. “But they were ever so kind enough to wrap it up afterwards so I wouldn’t bleed out.” 

Ellie was speechless. Hardy pinned her with a glare of triumph: _I told you._ It was some moments before she could speak, and when she did, her voice sounded small. 

“Is there anything else you’d like to add at this time?”

Hardy remained quiet for a moment. Oh, he could talk about being kept blindfolded and near choking on his gag the entire two weeks. He could describe being left in the dark, cold silence all the time. He could mention being given no food. When they gave him water, just enough to avoid massive organ damage, they’d tilt him forward til he was on his knees and made him drink from what he’d suspected was a bowl.

Hardy returned his gaze to the camera with the slightest smirk on his face. 

“No.”


End file.
